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The 2000 year-old sculptured clay warriors guarding the first emperor China Qin Shihuang's tomb are set for a modern digital makeover as news leaked yesterday that a collaboration between the Shanghai Film Group and former Marvel Entertainment CEO Avi Arad will bring the soldiers to the big screen in a superhero action feature.
Both sides bring extensive movie making experience into the project. Arad, who started Marvel Entertainment's film division in 1993 who has worked on such runaway hits as "Iron Man" and "Spider-Man," was reported as being among several Hollywood filmmakers that reached out to the Shanghai Film Groups to discuss future partnership projects. While Shanghai Film Group CEO Ren Zhonglun is reported to have said that a few of the negotiations are at the "substantive stage" apparently Arad's project has been green-lit to commence production.
According to reports, the film, which will be named either "Rise of the Terracotta Warriors" or "Super Terracotta Warriors" will feature animated versions of the warriors transported into modern times "at a time when aliens are invading and the world" and is in need of some Terracotta Warrior assistance. The film will be screened in Shanghai at the Chedun Studios. Hollywood experts and staff will also be on location to provide assistance.
In recent years, China has been the location of choice for a number of Hollywood film productions. Last year, "Iron Man 3" included several scenes filmed in China and the upcoming "Transformers" film by Michael Bay is a Sino-US co-production with the China Movie Channel.
Interestingly, news of the collaboration has been met with ridicule among China's online community with many saying that they have no interest in seeing such a film while others saying they would see the film because it would most likely be very funny.
